[Remote] Senior AI & Cloud Engineer

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, known for its innovative approach to marketing. They are seeking a Senior AI & Cloud Engineer to design, build, and operate intelligent data and AI systems on Azure, bridging cloud infrastructure, data engineering, and applied AI to create measurable business value.ResponsibilitiesDesign and deploy scalable data and AI pipelines on Azure using Databricks, Azure Data Factory, and related servicesBuild Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems and AI-assisted workflows that integrate with internal data sources and APIsDevelop and maintain Python-based applications, microservices, and Azure Container AppsApply prompt engineering techniques and work with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI) to deliver reliable, production-ready AI featuresImplement and maintain MCP (Model Context Protocol) integrations to connect AI models with enterprise tools and data sourcesParticipate in fine-tuning and evaluation of models; contribute to model training workflows where applicableEstablish best practices for AI observability, evaluation, safety guardrails, and responsible deploymentCollaborate closely with data scientists, product managers, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into engineering solutionsMentor junior engineers and contribute to architectural decisionsSkills3+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with at least 1 year focused on AI/ML systems in productionStrong Python proficiency — data manipulation, API development, async patterns, testingSolid experience with Azure cloud services: Azure Data Lake, Azure Container Apps, Azure Blob Storage, Azure OpenAI Service, and related toolingExperience with Databricks for large-scale data processing and ML workflows (Delta Lake, Spark, MLflow)Practical experience with RAG architectures, vector databases (e.g. Azure AI Search, Chroma, Weaviate, pgvector), and embedding modelsWorking knowledge of prompt engineering — few-shot prompting, chain-of-thought, system prompt design, output parsingFamiliarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) or equivalent tool-use / function-calling patterns in LLM applicationsExperience with Git-based version control and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps)BenefitsPaid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or moreMonetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and FertilityMonetary assistance and support for pet adoptionEmployee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balanceTuition AssistancePaid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and moreMatching Gifts programsFlexible working arrangements'Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliancesTemporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been metTemporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been metFor regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time offCompany OverviewWith a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. It was founded in 1936, and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA, with a workforce of 5001-10000 employees. Its website is https://starcomww.com/.Company H1B SponsorshipStarcom has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 10 in 2025, 8 in 2024, 11 in 2023, 20 in 2022, 8 in 2021, 16 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.